Cermark vs. Thermark

[Bob WrightNC]

Have used some of the Thermark on stainless but it's messy. You guys have a preference which one you use and does one give a better black mark than the other? Thanks.

[Kev Williams]

Thermark makes Cermark, so they're the same thing, and Ferro bought out Thermark last February...

[Dan Hintz]

Thermark makes Cermark, so they're the same thing, and Ferro bought out Thermark last February...

For a long time it was a cross-licensing deal between the two companies, and while they each offered slightly different formulas in their catalogs, in the end it was not really noticeable to most.

[Pete Bejmuk]

Applied Thermark is pretty much a dusty layer of powder and smudges really easily. Cermark, once dried, leaves a film that's pretty resistant to smudging.

IMHO Thermark is more of a very dark grey, Cermark (if you dial it in right) is a darker black. But you need to apply either one with a spray or airbrush, don't even bother trying to brush or dab it on - you can't get a consistant thickness with a brush.

Both are very bad for you to inhale (it's essentially a micro-powdered glass). Use a N95 mask or respirator whenever you spray either, even if you're doing it outside or in a spray booth

[Mike Null]

Pete

There are many instances where an airbrush or spray don't work or simply aren't practical. I find that a sponge brush works quite well in those applications. The key is to mix the paint properly to begin with.

[Kev Williams]

I just use cheap bag-for-a dollar artists brushes for small areas, like single words on switchplates or names on knife blades. I use very thinned but well mixed Cermark and lay it down fairly heavy. The brush marks just flow together, and it looks sprayed on when dry. Always great results.

Below is an empty Cermark can I haven't cut open yet-
"Cermark", "Ferro" and "Thermark" all appear on the same can, and also on
my old 100 and 500 gram LMM-6000 tubs. My Pearl white however, has
only "Ferro" on the bottle...


http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/cmft.jpg

[Bob WrightNC]

I've been doing my spraying of Thermark outside but just don't like the dustiness of it. Bought a couple of cans of Cermark on special with Laserbits and am going to try those out. Haven't used a mask yet but probably should. Going to run a test pattern to see how it goes.

[Jack Clague]

Has anyone tried this (the new version):

http://www.thermark.com/content/view/38/78/

Looks like a great way to mark for smaller articles and gets rid of the hassle of clean up and making sure the area has equal coverage

[Roy Sanders]

WELL OK THEN, if both are the same and I have trouble getting a good mark on brass, bullet, what does this group think about the tape? Is it better, worse, neither?

Thank you

Roy

[Gary Hair]

If you can't get a mark with liquid then I doubt you'll get a mark with tape. Most problems with Cermark/Thermark are one of three things - preparation, application, or lasering. Substrate can have a big effect but if you don't get the other three right then the substrate doesn't matter. I know they recommend a minimum of 30 watts for tape and I was told that 45 is actually a more realistic minimum, so your 40 watt glass tube isn't likely to cut it. Ask them for a sample and give it a try but I wouldn't spend $100 on a roll to experiment.

[Keith Winter]

Tape sucks. Not only do you melt it on the object you have to peel off all the area you didn't engrave, and then clean off the sticky tape mess. Plus it costs more. To be fair, I might of had a bad batch, or it may have been old since they were samples I got at a show, but that was my experience.

[Jack Clague]

Tape sucks. Not only do you melt it on the object you have to peel off all the area you didn't engrave, and then clean off the sticky tape mess. Plus it costs more. To be fair, I might of had a bad batch, or it may have been old since they were samples I got at a show, but that was my experience.


Hi Keith,

How long ago was that, only ask as there is a "note" on the thermark page that they have changed the way the tape is made due to the first version being not so good

[Mike Null]

My opinion is that tape is a big waste of money.

I have never been able to get a good, black durable mark on metals other than steel.